


among the ordinary

by lorelaislatte



Category: The Haunting of Bly Manor (TV)
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe - Flower Shop & Tattoo Parlor, F/F, Fluff, IT'S FLOWER SHOP/TATTOO PARLOUR TIME, but she sure as hell has sketching in a flower shop vibes, dani may not have the stereotypical punk tattoo vibes, jamie is grumpy, no angst just lesbians, owen feeds them all, so here you go, sweet sweet community family vibes, viola wears a lot of leather
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-03-08
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-15 04:55:36
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29928237
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lorelaislatte/pseuds/lorelaislatte
Summary: She’s looking over at a potted fern, thinking how perfect it would be for her desk, when a woman in denim overalls emerges from the back.She’s pretty, and oddly familiar in a way Dani can’t quite conceptualise - she knows she’s never met this woman before, but something in her eyes feels like she’s known her forever. Curly brown hair, eyes she can’t quite pinpoint the colour of - green, blue, hazel, grey, they seem to contain everything. A casual kind of swagger to her and her hands in her pockets as she sizes Dani up, and Dani feels something long-forgotten tugging in her stomach.Viola is gorgeous. Perdita is gorgeous. Hannah is gorgeous. This woman is something else entirely.
Relationships: Dani Clayton/Jamie
Comments: 59
Kudos: 114





	among the ordinary

**Author's Note:**

> yes i now have three multi chapters on the go yes im stupid we exist. this one is probably going to be a little slower on the updates, but i say that knowing full well it’s all i’m going to think about all week, so we’ll see
> 
> i noticed a conspicuous lack of this au in the time i’ve been here, so i’m picking up the gauntlet. this is a slow burn (ish) fluff fic, because i’ve decided that this time the plot is simply that They Are Soft. this is my world and you all just live in it
> 
> also it’s strange to be writing from dani’s perspective for the first time since love shack so fingers crossed it works. don’t come at me for the shop name. i’m bad with them.

“I’m just going to pop out the back to make sure your studio space is ready. Won’t be a minute.”

Dani nods as Mrs. Lloyd - _Viola, please_ \- stands, a vision of leather and curly dark hair, disappearing through into a studio in the back. 

_Her_ studio.

She’s still floating on that new-job feeling as she looks around the space. The inside is a lot less intimidating than the outside - a vintage feeling to it, the waiting area reminding Dani a little of an old ‘20s library-cross-speakeasy, low lights and dark wood paneling, plush sofas in dark green around the space and an oak bookshelf over to one side. There’s even a fireplace in the corner - unfortunately not lit, the April sun making it far too warm - and Dani feels homely there already.

She’d pitched up in town a couple of weeks prior, nothing but a head full of new beginnings, a deposit for a flat she can’t afford without a job, and two apprenticeship diplomas qualifying her to start work immediately. Coming across _Persephone’s Parlour_ had felt like a gift, neatly wrapped up and handed to her in the form of an _artist wanted_ sign in the window. Three interviews and a portfolio later, and here she is - a month’s probation is all that stands between her and becoming a full-fledged independent artist.

She likes that _Persephone’s_ has individual studios. Her apprenticeship had taken place in the States, in a space where each artist worked in the same room, the constant buzzing and chatting frequently overwhelming her. The pressure of being watched, of being constantly looked at as she tried to grow her portfolio and establish herself among the whirlwind of fledgling artists in Des Moines had caused her to vow at the age of twenty that she’d never work in a similar environment once she’d qualified. On top of the privacy, she likes the idea that she can have a space that’s solely hers. She can decorate it, get her own furniture, keep a storage and organisation system that works for her, away from the chaos of the rest of the world. 

Viola emerges again and beckons her inside. Dani holds her portfolio close to her as she steps inside, and smiles at the space around her - it’s small, but decent, the walls a pale green and two large bay windows at the back. “You’re lucky it was Rebecca who left us,” Viola says, sweeping through the space with an attractive ease. “We’ve all envied these windows for years.”

Dani smiles at her, having a look out and over the city. York is truly beautiful, living up to every single one of the expectations she’d had when considering where to go. Their shop is on the Shambles, the iconic street in the centre of the city, a myriad of timber buildings dating as far back as the thirteenth century, a narrow street in between them and a kind of Tudor-Gothic fusion in the style of the architecture. Nothing and nowhere in Iowa could ever match the feeling she’d gotten walking down there for the first time.

“Your time is more or less your own,” Viola says, bringing Dani out of her thoughts and back into the room. “Your probationary period will require supervision, but I’ve seen enough of your work to be comfortable letting you take client bookings. It’ll primarily be me sitting in with you, but Perdita, my sister, may also pop in if I’m busy.”

Dani nods. “That’s fine.”

Viola arches an eyebrow. “I know it is.” Dani feels herself going red. “Anyway, in terms of your flash sheets and designs, I’m happy for you to use any materials here, but please let me know if any stock is getting low so that I can put an order in. You’re responsible for your own promotion and pricing, but please be aware that forty percent goes to the business. We tend to charge a little more than some other local artists, but our standards are impeccably high, and people pay for our reputation. So I’d avoid doing anything to tarnish that. Take today to settle in, you’ve got a clear schedule, so you don’t have to stick around once you’re done.”

With that, she sweeps - and _sweeps_ is truly the only word Dani can attribute to the way Viola seems to glide around, even in platform boots and tight jeans - out of the room, leaving Dani with a tote bag of decor and her huge stacks of sketches and flashes, which she drops onto the side of the desk, sitting in the chair and taking a deep breath.

She decides to start by livening the desk up a little. She takes her sketchbook and pencils out first, followed by a couple of postcards from her brief spell travelling around England, scenes from London and Oxford to bring a bit of life to the space. Her flash sheets get neatly tucked away in the top drawer, and she takes note of the supplies she’s been provided with - plenty of blank sheets, standard tattooing guns and needles, and tattoo inks in a rich black. She remembers from the interview that coloured inks would be available if she asked, but she prefers her work in monotone, the sharpness of the contrast working nicely with the softness of her style.

It doesn’t take long to unpack the few supplies she’d brought, and while the space still looks a little bare, it’s a step in the right direction. She decides to give it a little bit longer, not wanting to run out of the door an hour in, and picks up her sketchbook, flipping open and swivelling around until she’s facing the window.

Florals are still somewhat new to her. Dani’s always enjoyed geometric designs and little bits of scenery - a mountain here, a lake there, several different interpretations of the ocean over the years, as well as Celtic knots and symbols. But the last few months have seen her experimenting with leaves and blooms, basic rose and violet designs, not quite ready to be put to skin yet, but certainly shaping up. Her windows back on to what looks like a small courtyard, and she begins to map out the space, when there’s a knock at the door, and she looks up to see a man with a moustache entering the room.

“Hi, you must be Danielle?”

“Dani, please.”

“Dani.” The man smiles, extending a hand with a flourish. “Owen Sharma. I’m Hannah’s partner, she’s the studio next to yours. I own the restaurant a few doors down, just wanted to let you know that you guys get twenty percent off, and to bring a complementary welcome lunch.” With that, Owen produces a polystyrene box, the smell of garlic wafting up as Dani’s eyes widen.

“Hi, wow, thank you. You didn’t have to.”

Owen smiles, handing it over, and Dani opens it to reveal what might be the best looking carbonara she’s ever seen. “I know,” he says, giving a bow. “But Hannah’s very keen on first impressions, and besides. I make so much of this that it’s im- _pasta_ -ble to run out.” 

Dani grins at the pun, nodding. “Thank you. I’ll definitely come by for lunch someday.”

“Sounds good. Well, I’ve got a grumpy florist to feed next, so I’ll see you around.”

“There’s a florist here?”

“Sure. Eight doors to the right. The Leafling. Best one in town.”

Dani immediately realises that a few plants would sort her studio right out, filling the currently-empty shelves and corners nicely. “I’ll check it out. Thanks.”

Owen gives her a wave as he disappears out of the door, leaving Dani to eat her lunch and mull over how many plants to get. She’s not got much in the way of savings, but she figures a few leafy investments are worth the temporary dip. She’s never exactly been a beacon of knowledge, working out only that she’d like some kind of fern to droop down from the top shelf of her desk, something tall in the corner by the window, maybe a couple of flowers and small cacti on the shelves. She lightly sketches out her ideas, finding it easier to visualise that way, and tucks in to Owen’s offering, already feeling that much more content at the idea of good neighbours and a space of her own.

*

She hangs about at the studio for a little longer, adding to her sketches and finally meeting the other artists. Hannah, Owen’s partner, had stopped by not long after he had, who works wonders with typography and iconography, with a studio decorated in all kinds of quotes and photography. Perdita, Viola’s sister - just as stunning, but thankfully less intimidating - who works across the hall, and seems to be particularly good with coloured sketch tattoos, a small hummingbird on her shoulder and a sweep of planets down her right arm. Dani learns that Viola had done the sleeve on her left - apparently she has more of a punk vision, which adds up - and Dani finds herself happy to be in the company of entirely women. It adds a little something to the space, and she hopes she’ll fit in as well as they fit with each other soon enough.

Viola isn’t at the desk when she leaves, so she heads straight to the florist - the trip won’t take long, so she can say her goodbyes properly for the night later. She gets distracted on the way by a few other shops, looking in at the York Ghost Merchants and enjoying the display of handmade ghost figures, shades and colours galore in a historically-themed shop. There’s no end of Harry Potter paraphernalia everywhere, and she pauses in a couple of windows, before finally coming upon _The Leafling,_ tucked away in between a teashop and a jewellers, an explosion of colour among the buildings. A bell tinkles softly above the door as she enters, surprised to find it entirely empty, an accented voice calling _with you in a minute_ from somewhere at the back.

“No worries,” Dani calls back, stepping inside. The shop is chaotic in all the best ways - scores of plants on shelves, tables, upturned crates, littered across the floor, hanging from the ceiling, everywhere Dani looks she sees even more of them, hiding in corners she didn’t even know were there. There’s a bouquet table in the far corner, a rainbow pattern of ribbons and wrapping paper stacked, and yet more plants on the counter with the till, where an empty stool and a radio lie abandoned. 

She’s looking over at a potted fern, thinking how perfect it would be for her desk, when a woman in denim overalls emerges from the back.

She’s pretty, and oddly familiar in a way Dani can’t quite conceptualise - she knows she’s never met this woman before, but something in her eyes feels like she’s known her forever. Curly brown hair, eyes she can’t quite pinpoint the colour of - green, blue, hazel, grey, they seem to contain everything. A casual kind of swagger to her and her hands in her pockets as she sizes Dani up, and Dani feels something long-forgotten tugging in her stomach.

Viola is gorgeous. Perdita is gorgeous. Hannah is gorgeous. This woman is something else entirely.

“You looking to buy, or…” the woman trails off, and Dani realises she’s just staring, closing her mouth and nodding.

“Hi, yeah. Sorry. I just moved in, and, uh, wanted something to brighten it up a bit.”

The woman nods. “Flat, house, what am I working with?”

“Studio, actually.” Dani takes a step closer, offering a hesitant smile. “I just started up at _Persephone’s Parlour_ down the road. It’s nice, but a bit bare, so I thought this might help.”

She unfolds the sketch she’d been working on to plan her space, and hands it to the woman, who looks at it, humming gently. Dani watches her with a careful curiosity, wondering what exactly it is that seems to be drawing her in so much, the feeling in the back of her head that somehow this woman is going to be much more than the florist down the street she met once. Owen had described her as _grumpy_ , but hadn’t mentioned her name, and Dani can’t help herself, blurting out the question.

“Jamie.”

“Jamie?”

“Yeah. Got some hearing issues, Blondie?”

So, grumpy was a decent descriptor, apparently. But Dani can’t find any trace of malice in her voice - there’s nothing cutting, nothing that would suggest genuine annoyance. Just abruptness, which Dani can handle. Growing up with her mother had been the perfect training ground.

“Dani, actually. Dani Clayton.”

“Pleasure.”

Jamie looks back down at the paper in front of her, before handing it back to Dani. “Got a few things that’ll work for you. Potted fern for the desk, couple of aluminium plants for the shelves, cacti for the windows, and I’d go for anthurium on the small shelves by the door. Not particularly flowery, any of them, but they’re sturdy, and they’ll last.”

Dani nods, pocketing her sketch. “Sounds great,” she says with a smile. “Gorgeous place.”

“Thanks.”

Jamie doesn’t offer anything further, instead taking a basket and loading it up with the plants in question. “How strong are you?”

Dani takes the basket from her, giving it a quick test. “Strong enough.”

They walk over to the counter, Dani deciding not to think about the amount she’s just spent. Her rent for the month has been paid, and if she has to live on rice and beans, well, it’s nothing an art career hadn’t prepared her for. She starts to take the plants out of the basket, realising she’s probably going to have to make two trips, when Jamie’s hand is suddenly on hers. “Take the basket. Bring it back in a minute.”

“You sure?”

She nods. “I know where you work, so I can always come and kick off if you keep it.”

Dani grins at her, putting the plant back in the basket as Jamie moves her hand away. “Okay. Thanks. Won’t be long.”

*

She thinks of Jamie as she unpacks, settling the plants according to her plan, and finding herself seriously impressed by Jamie’s eye. She’s never even seen the space, and yet every suggestion fits perfectly in exactly the right spot, adding a dimension to the room that Dani is more than pleased with. The fern in particular is just as lovely as she imagined, the leaves just starting to tip over the edge of the pot, and she reckons they’ll be hanging down as she’d hoped within a couple of months. It gives the space a more welcoming air, and she’s got no doubt that her future clients will like them just as much as she does.

True to her word, she runs the basket back down to Jamie on her way out, locking her studio behind her. The Shambles is quieting down now, the tourist rush settling, and as Dani approaches The Leafling she sees Jamie moving a large pot inside, the muscles in her arms flexing in a way that makes Dani feel a little weak at the knees.

She knows where this is going. She knows _exactly_ where this is going.

Women catching her eye isn’t unfamiliar by this point. Leaving Eddie to move to Des Moines and start over had been her main introduction to her sexuality, the realisation that she was never going to love Eddie the way she thought she should causing her to end things two months later, but she’s never quite racked up the confidence to dive head-in, content to watch from a distance. Most women seem unattainable, unapproachable, but Jamie doesn’t. A little closed off, a little guarded, but she feels _something_ there, something that goes beyond her own wishful thinking.

She shakes her head to quell the thought, knocking softly on the door as Jamie walks back behind the counter. “As promised,” she says with a smile, lifting the basket as she walks back over to where Jamie had gotten it from.

“Thanks. Hope you like the plants.”

“They’re perfect.” Dani pauses, biting her lip and looking for any excuse to keep the conversation going, to spend a little longer in Jamie’s company while she gets used to whatever this feeling is that Jamie causes in her. Then it hits her.

“I, uh. I have a question.”

Jamie looks up with an eyebrow raised. “Yeah?”

“Yeah.” She stops, taking a deep breath as her eyes look around. “I’m trying to develop into floral tattoos. Flowers, leaves, plants, the whole thing. Could I sit and sketch here sometime?”

Jamie looks at her for a moment, and Dani is almost positive she’s going to say no. She’d understand - having a total stranger sat drawing her studio space would feel strange after a day, let alone after however long Jamie’s been here for. She opens her mouth to retract the question, when Jamie speaks first. “Okay.”

“Okay?”

“Got a habit of repeating, haven’t you? But yeah. Okay. Come tomorrow, if you want. I’m on all day.”

Dani’s nerves vanish just as soon as they’d arrived, and she smiles softly at Jamie. “I can’t pay, though.”

“That’s fine. Didn’t expect you to.”

“Maybe if you want, I could let you have some of the sketches, some of the good ones? Put them on the wall?”

Jamie considers her offer for a moment, before nodding again, eyes flitting around at the rare blank spaces in the shop. “Sure. Could use a bit of art in here. Trust you’re good.”

Dani nods. “I am. Promise. I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Sure. Come by around one.”

“Alright.”

Dani turns to go, a sense of satisfaction and triumph surrounding her at the fact that she’d managed to successfully clinch a bit more time with Jamie, all the while developing her art skills in a new direction. Not bad for a first day.

She’s almost out the door when she hears Jamie’s voice behind her again. “Dani?”

“Yeah?”

Jamie looks suddenly a little nervous, just the slightest hint of it in her brow. “Come a bit earlier, if you want. Could get lunch together.”

Her smile turns into a beaming grin as she nods. “I’d like that.”

“Alright.” Jamie is smiling now, a _proper_ smile, not a polite customer-service one. It changes her expression entirely - her eyes seem lighter, her jaw less cutting, the lingering threads of a tiny bit of softness that Dani is surprised to see emerge. “Tomorrow then.”

“Tomorrow.”

With a shy wave, she’s out the door, wondering how the _hell_ that’d gone so well.

**Author's Note:**

> got offered a job at the york ghost merchants and unfortunately had to turn it down because i wasn’t visiting. but i think about them all the time and my ghost sits very happily on my bookshelf 
> 
> york is a beautiful city and i'm happy we're here. lemme know what ya think x
> 
> (edit: visual ref here for art styles! https://pin.it/3AFKpde)


End file.
